Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
Find out how the Cancer Alliance is working with gyms in Humber and North Yorkshire to raise awareness about screening and cervical cancer symptoms.
Joining forces with gyms to encourage screening uptake and symptom awareness
Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance is working with gyms, yoga studios, and leisure centres across the region to raise cervical cancer awareness during January.
The Cancer Alliance has offered free Cancer Champions training to gym staff, yoga instructors and fitness co-ordinators in low screening take-up areas.
The training equips them with the potentially life-saving tools to raise symptom awareness and educate about the importance of cervical screening among their customers.
These gyms, studios and fitness centres will also display posters and other promotional materials throughout
their premises, to help customers learn more about
cervical screening and symptom vigilance.
Participating gyms, lesiure centres and yoga studios
Below is a selection of gyms, leisure centres and yoga studios which are participating in this campaign, helping to raise awareness among their customers and communities.
Click here for a list of all participating gyms, yoga studios, and leisure centres.
Worried about your cervical screening appointment?
Don't be! Sarah York, Lead Nurse Hysteroscopy and Colposcopy for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, offers reassurance to anyone with concerns about cervical screening appointments.
All women aged 25 to 64 are invited by letter to attend a cervical screening appointment (a smear test) to check the health of their cervix. Cervical screening is not a test for cancer, it is a test to help prevent cancer.
Cervical screening myth busting
There are lots of myths and confusion about cervical screening.
This one-minute myth-busting video separates the facts from fiction.
Cervical cancer symptoms
It is important to know what is normal for you, so you can spot signs of cervical cancer in the earliest stages. Some of the main symptoms to be aware of are:
- vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you – including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause, or heavier periods than usual
- pain during sex
- changes to your vaginal discharge
In this video, Dr Tami Byass of Eastgate Medical Group, Hornsea, goes into more detail.
Reducing the risk
Every day, two women die of cervical cancer in UK, yet nearly all cases of cervical cancer are preventable.
The best way to reduce your risk of cervical cancer is to attend your cervical screening appointment if you are invited - it can be uncomfortable, but not as painful as people might fear. The actual examination takes just a minute (the entire appointment takes just 10 minutes) and could save your life.
Through January, the Cancer Alliance is encouraging women and people with a cervix to significantly reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer - by booking their cervical screening appointment of they have missed it and being symptom aware.
HPV explained
During the screening appointment, a small sample of cells will be taken from your cervix. The sample will then be tested for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). If these types of cells are found, they can be treated before they get a chance to turn into cervical cancer.
All children aged 12 to 13 are offered the HPV vaccine, which helps to protect against all cancers caused by HPV.
For more information, check out Yorkshire Cancer Research's video and key facts.
Emma's story
Emma Jones, 39, is an A&E Housekeeper at Hull Royal Infirmary.
In 2021, she received an HPV-positive result from cervical screening, and was then diagnosed with stage two cervical cancer.
Emma had lost her mother to cancer, but following chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brachytherapy, she was declared cancer-free in 2022.
Spreading the message
During January, members of the Cancer Alliance will be reaching out to a number of groups to spread awareness of cervical cancer and the screening programme. These include:
- ethnic minority communities
- parent and baby groups
- Family hubs
- people with learning disabilities
How you can help
Cervical cancer awareness will be spread across the Cancer Alliance’s social media channels too. Follow the Cancer Alliance on Facebook and X to help share these messages.
You can find contact information for support groups in our region for cervical cancer and other forms of the disease here.